Substantial Savory Salads: How to Make a Salad a 'Meal'

Now that summer is in the air, expedite your weight loss efforts by making and eating more fresh healthy main dish salads at home. Because these salads contain a protein source, such as meat, beans, nuts or tofu, they will keep you full and energized until your next mealtime.

Now that summer is in the air, expedite your weight loss efforts by making and eating more fresh healthy main dish salads at home. Because these salads contain a protein source, such as meat, beans, nuts or tofu, these substantial savory salads will keep you full and energized until your next mealtime. They even have my sporty husband's stamp of approval!

Preparation of main dish salads starts at the grocery store by purchasing lettuce, vegetables, meat or meat alternatives, fruit, and cheese.

Shopping List

Lettuce

The darker the lettuce, the more vitamins and minerals it contains. Consequently, many of these salads contain spinach and dark romaine lettuce leaves for a heartier flavor and a healthier salad. When starting your salad, begin by washing the lettuce first so that the leaves have time to drip dry in a colander. A salad spinner works well too.

Vegetables

Since different colors of vegetables contain different vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, I slice three colors of vegetables, other than green, so that I obtain the healthful benefits of all of them in my salads. For example, yellow vegetables, such as yellow peppers, are rich in lutein that can help with eye health. Red vegetables, such as tomatoes, contain lycopene that can help reduce your risk of cancer and protect against heart attacks.

Meat or Meat alternatives

Marinate your beef, chicken, turkey, pork or extra-firm tofu in this quick four-ingredient marinade to help enrich the flavors and tenderize the meats. To keep your meats food safe, store in a covered container in the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to 5 days.

Toasted nuts

Since toasting intensifies the flavor of the nuts, put sliced or chopped nuts in a single layer in a small pan on the stove on low heat with no oil. Stir often until the nuts are browned and smell fragrant in less than 5 minutes. Watch carefully so they don't burn!

Fruit

When you cut up your fruit, prepare some extra in a small plastic bag for a quick snack later.

Cheese

Cheese is an excellent source of calcium for healthy bones; however, cheese is also a calorie dense food. Choose strong-flavored cheese, such as cambozola, gruyere or emmental, and dice in small pieces so that you can enjoy their taste in smaller amounts and save on calories.

Preparation

Chicken, Feta Cheese, and Strawberry Salad
Beef, Cambozola (mixture of camembert and gorgonzola) Pear, and Roasted Walnut Salad
Spanish Tuna, Tomato, Corn, and Avocado Salad
Asian Tofu, Peanut, and Mandarin Orange Salad

Even if you have a long and busy day at work, the entire salad can be prepared earlier and stored in the refrigerator. When you return home, cook the meat and eat.

Festive Presentation: Eating with your eyes!

I like to use a glass salad bowl and layer all of the ingredients. Start with the lettuce, torn into the pieces in a bowl. Layer fruits, vegetables, and cheese. Just before serving, arrange cooked warm meat or meat alternative on top with a few nuts in the center. To help the flavors mix more thoroughly, I usually add the dressing and mix at the table just before eating

How to Make a Salad a Meal Chart

Ingredient	Chicken Feta Cheese Strawberry Salad	Beef Cambozola Pear Salad	Spanish Tuna Tomato Avocado Salad	Asian Tofu/Peanut Mandarin Orange Salad
Lettuce	Romaine Dark Lettuce	Spinach	Iceberg lettuce	Spinach
Meat/Meat Alternative	Chicken	Beef	Canned Tuna, Drained	Tofu
Nuts	Roasted Walnuts			Peanuts
Cheese	Feta Cheese Crumbles	Cambozola Crumbles
Fruit	Strawberries	Fresh Pears Slices		Mandarin Oranges
Vegetable			Sliced Tomatoes, Avocadoes, Corn	Fresh Bean Sprouts, Broccoli Crowns
Dressing	Raspberry Vinaigrette or Reduced Balsamic Vinegar	Light Creamy Dressing	In Spain, a special vinegar from Jerez, and extra virgin olive oil are sprinkled on top	Light Coconut Asian Salad Dressing or a Lime Asian Dressing

Don't many of these salads appear like some of those delicious salads you have enjoyed in restaurants? Now, you can make a less expensive and healthier version at home that help meet your weight loss goals. This chart should be a stepping-stone to creating your own favorite main dish salads. Please share some of your main dish salads with me. I look forward to your good ideas!

Foods & Recipes->Salads Meal Planning & Diets->Lunch Meal Planning & Diets->Dinner

May 15, 2015